It’s May, so that means summer is almost here – right?! If the weather starts to warm up where you are, crack those windows open – we hope you’re working remotely -- and let the fresh air waft through your space while you catch up on what is going on in the world of retirement security. You will not want to miss:

• Small employer plans, technology, fees, Auto IRAs, and more with insider J.D. Carlson

• State metrics – we’ve got the latest!

• Updates from California, Colorado, New Mexico, Connecticut, Maine, Virginia, and Hawaii

• The Next Generation. Expert Joel Metlen weighs in

• Hot Sauce! … 2 events you won’t want to miss TODAY and TOMORROW, plus what’s really working in the DEI space right now, and why you care

• And we got your PIX of the Week!

We like to bring the public and private sector together to share good ideas. Today we’re mashing up the realities of small plan servicing in a technically advancing world with the onset of Auto IRAs with J.D. Carlson of Plan Design Consultants and the bro-style streaming program, Retireholics. Let’s see if the result is more like guacamole (which we love), or English-style mashie peas (no love).

Many years ago, I took a class in the Bronx to get my motorcycle license. The lessons took place in a random, shabby parking lot with bottom of the line loaner bikes that didn’t even have sideview mirrors. Most of the other students, like me, had cheap, low tech gear, barely meeting the requirements. One guy, though, had the full kit. His jacket, pants, gloves, boots, and helmet must have cost thousands of dollars. He looked impressive. But he was also the worst student in class. He actually flunked out, because he couldn’t make simple turns without falling over. I’ve witnessed new government programs suffer the same fate.